Nishi Rani of Kishoreganj filed a case against her husband, accusing him of dowry demands and physical abuse, and sought divorce, citing multiple grievances.
What followed, however, was not a courtroom verdict but a prolonged counselling session at the district legal aid office. With patience, the district Legal Aid Officer spoke to both parties, revisiting shared memories, small moments of togetherness, and the future of their family in an attempt to de-escalate the dispute.
The husband, Pamel, was seen emotional, admitting his mistakes and promising to start anew. After hours of discussion and emotional deliberation, Nishi gradually changed her stance.
On 25 February, the couple signed a compromise agreement, resolving their dispute through alternative dispute resolution outside the formal court process.
Such reconciliations are part of a wider nationwide effort under the government’s legal aid system, which provides free legal support to economically disadvantaged citizens. Since 2009, a total of 1,437,736 people have received services similar to Nishi and Pamel, according to official data up to March.
During this period, 433,612 cases have been resolved through legal assistance, including alternative dispute resolution (ADR), averaging 25,139 cases annually.
Despite these figures, lawyers say the reach of the system remains limited in proportion to the country’s population and pending caseload. They cite a lack of awareness, insufficient outreach, and trust deficits as key reasons behind low utilisation.
“The fact that, despite so many years, a significant number of litigants are still not coming under government legal aid is disappointing,” said Supreme Court lawyer Monir Hossain. “The state has created this institution, but those for whom it was created are either unable or unwilling to benefit. This reflects a crisis of trust.”
Officials, however, point to structural constraints. Speaking to the TIMES of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust spokesperson Ashrafuzzaman said the system has expanded significantly since 2015, when ADR mechanisms were formally integrated alongside legal advice and lawyer assignment.
“With limited manpower, we are trying our best. Since ADR was introduced, case resolution has increased,” he said, adding that further expansion in staffing and infrastructure would allow more people to access services.
The Legal Aid Services Act was enacted in 2000 to provide state-funded legal support to underprivileged citizens, followed by the establishment of the National Legal Aid Services Organisation.
However, institutional limitations meant little progress was made until 2009, when efforts began to operationalise the system more effectively. It was later upgraded into a directorate in January this year and now operates with 327 officials and staff nationwide.
District legal aid offices are currently active in all districts, alongside specialised labour support cells, a Supreme Court Legal Aid Office, and committees at upazila, union, and labour court levels. A national helpline (16699) also provides legal advice and information.
Yet, despite this expanding framework, lawyers argue that public awareness remains low.
“The number of people who have received free legal aid in the past 17 years is disappointing for such an institution,” said Supreme Court lawyer Solaiman Tushar. “There are serious questions about capacity, efficiency, and mindset within the organisation.”
Legal aid covers a wide range of services, including legal advice, pre-trial dispute resolution, appointment of lawyers, ADR in ongoing cases, and coverage of costs such as DNA testing and legal notices.
It also supports cases involving dowry, domestic violence, divorce, maintenance, custody, trafficking, sexual violence, and protection of vulnerable groups including women, children, persons with disabilities, and low-income litigants.
Despite this extensive mandate, experts say the challenge now lies not in design, but in reach—ensuring that those who need the system most actually know it exists, and trust it enough to use it.
